The South Australian government has launched its $250,000 Spirits Expansion Program in partnership with Distillers South Australia, aiming to support the state’s distilleries to expand locally and into priority international markets.
According to the state government, the number of distillers in South Australia has grown rapidly since 2013 – from 10 to more than 100 – with many located in regional South Australia. In 2002, the distillery industry directly employed 600 people, a figure that is set to soar to a projected 2300 jobs by 2031.
As the industry continues to grow, the Spirits Expansion Program aims to support businesses to access opportunities in domestic and international markets. By progressing through the program, distillers will be prepared to participate in international trade missions and market activations.
The announcement follows the reveal of the state government’s Global Wine Growth Program in July, which will invest $3.9 million over the next two years to increase support for the state’s wine export industry.
Distillers South Australia president, George Georgiadis, said the program is a positive next step towards enhancing South Australia’s reputation for producing quality spirits, and one which helps distillers scale to forge a strong domestic and global market position.
“South Australian spirits are boldly crafted, unashamedly different and tell a unique story of traceability, provenance and innovation in the Australian distilling sector,” said Georgiadis.
“We look forward to working with the Department of State Development to ensure SA spirits are served alongside premium South Australian food and beverage on menus and lips in our state and around the world.”
The Spirits Expansion Program is based on key insights in the Distiller SA’s export strategy, which was supported by the South Australian Government and aligns with the South Australia Trade and Investment Strategy to 2030. The government stated it will also leverage Brand SA’s ‘Buy SA. For SA’ campaign and activities to drive consumer awareness and showcase South Australian distillers.
The two-year program will run until June 2027, building export capability, driving consumer demand and unlocking commercial outcomes for the state’s spirits sector. The website outlined the United Kingdom, China and Hong Kong, New Zealand, Southeast Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), and North America as priority markets.
Expressions of interest are now open online at statedevelopment.sa.gov.au for the Spirits Expansion Program.
